St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-05

ItCtIOll. lTdftleTS Ill lilelF eAdSptTd-
ton often declare that the authorities,
articles are banded together, and that
the profits are divided on fixed scale.
Be that as 1t may, there is more stealing
in this than another country, unless
probably Egypt is excepted, writes p.
5. Heath from Petersburg to the New
York Mail and Express.
Here the thieves market is two
blocks deep, four long, and gives COM
mercial transactions to thousands of per-
sons. The goods are carried in by the
pillagers, burglars and foOtpadS, sold TO
the ShOpkeeperS openly, and no secret
is made of the fact that the goods were
stolen. The buildings are mostly of
brick, located in quarter re-
mote from the most respectable
portion of the city, and
the shopkeepers live in the second
stories. The rooms are all filthy, COW
cred with vermin, filled with nauseous
OdorS, and the goods are dusty. The
lazy men and women sit in front of the
entrances IN the narrow streets. play
chess or cards, smoke and drink tea,
and show shocking degree of deprav-
ity. They are mostly Greeks, although
many are Tartars, Jews and Egyptians.
The Jews are said to be the most
clearly. honorable and intelligent.
STEALING SUNDAY MORNING.
The thieves market fiourisheS most a
Sunday morning, although Sunday is
not generally observed here, and street
Improvements. building of every char
acter and trade goes forward. But
many people take holiday Sunday and
spend it here. TO this point L wended
my way one Sunday morning, and saw
a throng such as Five Points, New York,
would have been shocked at in her
palmieSt days. In window | saw some
fine old chinaWare, bearing the private
mark of Alexander l., the crown and
seal of the empire. Immediately the
shOpkeeper, a woman, informed me that
the goods were stolen from the Winter
palace; she knew it, because she got
them directly from the thief. and She
had handled his property before.
In the center of each block is hollow
square, about $50 feet in diameter.
These were filled with men, women and
children, behind imprOvised counters,
selling or making almost everything.
Secondhand boots are the most popular
goods, and scores of men and boys can
be seen repairing them in the open air,
while others go about selling them.
The ground is bOuldered and covered
with sand and fleaS. Pigeons and crows,
both sacredly protected, hop about
everywhere. The crows are dark gray,
with little black coats. Great big Sibe-
rian hounds, muZZled, stalk about with
the multitude and give ZeSt tOt the
scene. ~,
Train loads of old iron, copper and
leather, hoops, cast-off and new cloth
ing, jewelry, watches, clocks and silver
ware, furs. everything that furnishes
houses, man, woman, child and beast,
i'll confusion and profuSion, just like a
heap of stuff burglar drops when holly
pursued. 1t is said the thieves linger
here after dispOsing of their plumber,
and often succeed in regaining the
property when it is purchased, and that
goods are stolen and reStolen number
of times in a single day or night. The
scenes about the thieves market here
are duplicated in four or five places III
the empire. They are as old as the
cities, and the markets have become
fixed institutions. No attempt is made
to Illustrate them.
REMARKABLY CLEVER WORK.
| have heard story about Russian
thieves which illustrates their deXterity
in this regard. A French noble, who
had suffered mnch from thieves at
st. Petersburg, made a wager with
member of the royal family that he
could produce Russian thieves who
would rob man at the dinner table,
and he might use every precaution to
prevent it. To the dinner a number of
guests sat down. The royal Russian
naturally supposed that one of those
who sat about the board was the expert
thief, and to them he directed his atten-
ton. From the prison one of the most
nlr fn1- %<.I1
that if he would rob the grand duke he
should have his liberty. The thief was
dressed as and acted the part of lackey
and waiter. The liveried servant
moved about with all the grace
and pomp of lord. Indeed
he so little resembled the adrOit
rogue that he was that his employer be-
gan to fear as the dinner progressed
that he had made an unwiSe selection.
1t was arranged between the master and
thief that when the latter had accom-
plished his difficult mission he was to
indicate it to the former by sly wink.
The wine flowed, the soup, fish, meat,
game, the various entrees and relisheS
appeared and disappeared, and still no
signal of success. Finally the cigars
were passed; and as they were, being
lighted the thief gave the signal. The
The guest. with pleasing confidence,
drew his guard, and found at the end Of
it, instead of his watch, slice of tur-
nip. Then the host asked his guest for
some snuff. The box was gone. In
Quiry was made for a beautiful ring
which the guest had worn. That, too,
was absent. His purse had likewise
disappeared. But the most astonishing
part of the performance was discovered
in the fact that not only had the guest
of the evening been robbed, but the host
likewise.
So helpless are the honest natives
when robbed that they often Seek
witches to trace the direction ofithei
stolen property. The witch proceeds
by peculiar means. She summons alb
the neighbOrs whom she suspects, gets
a pail of water, makes little roll of!
dough to represent each one present,
and begins in the presence of the party
to drop the balls into the wateE,6the.
theory being that when she nameStheI
thief they will all sink. Nine times OUT
of ten the witch forces confession
1t is waste of time to appeal to theiaua
thoritieS. The SuperstitionS of theipe0-g
pie are thus turned to advantage. They
believe it is far worse to be detected in:
crime than to make a free CONFESSIONS
In nearly every bedroom l have 0ecusf
pied in the Russian hOsteIries hayei
found tiny shrine. Some are over thei
doors, others high up in the corhersii
next to the ceiling, while a fewaref
slowed away on top of wardrobes. The
presence of the shrine is not only sat
isfaction and a solace to the occupantof
tine room, should he be Russian, but
protection to the landlord, for it has not
been freauent that. thPftS are nPrDe-
trated in the presence of shrines. The
thieves fear Shrines more than lawful
retribution.
DRUNKARDS EVERYWHERE. --e
Laws may be enacted and punishment
provided which will cure the Russians
of their thievery, but only education
and change in the formof government
can eradicate some other evils. The
P,ISSia,, tl,I dr,,sal